Lynda Lehmann, ArizonaMember Since June 2007Artist Statement I'm an abstract painter and photographer with a passion for color and the forms of nature. Even as a child, I was awed by nature's beauty. I learned to look at the "close view" from my early experience with a "real" microscope that I received for my 12th birthday. As an adult, I know that my love of beauty has inspired my life. My photography is realistic but my paintings are abstract. In painting, I'm drawn to subjects conveying ambiguity and mystery, more than to recognizable scenes. I love the freedom and musicality of abstract work. To me, it's more fun to see "what isn't" than to see "what is." I have shown my art in numerous juried and solo shows in the New York area.

For me, doing art is a meditation and an affirmation of life; it lifts me above the problems of everyday. If viewing my art gives you a moment of peace or inspiration, then my joy in doing it is doubled.

My galleries feature inspiring views of nature in all its glory. Form and color are the basis of design in nature, but it's light that makes it all happen. Here are photos of nature both close and far. The world seems bright and new, with each discovery of nature's mystery and beauty. To me, the macrocosm and the microcosm are equally beautiful and fascinating. I hope you enjoy my macro shots of lichen and bark, and other subjects from my "Living Surface" series of topographies, including water, plants, rocks, and other natural objects.

I'm fascinated with texture, which I see as the most ubiquitous level of "form." The more I look, the more I see. The world is visually rich. Nature's magnificence shines in every nook, on every surface.

You can view many of my photos and digital art images here at http://lyndalehmann.imagekind/store. Or visit my blog "Peripheral Vision" at www.innersights.blogspot.com, if you want to see my list of group and solo exhibits, find links to my articles on art, or read my most recent art news.